ted in Southey's
_Common Place Book_, 3rd series, p. 303.

Here, not to sneeze appears to be looked on as an ill omen.

Ammianus has an epigram upon one whose nose was so long that he never heard
it sneeze, and therefore never said [Greek: Zeu soson], God bless.--_Notes
on the Variorum Plautus_ (ed. Gronov., Lugd. Bat.), p. 720. {625}

Athenaeus, says Potter in his _Archaeologia Graeca_, proves that the head
was esteemed holy, because it was customary to swear by it, and adore as
holy the sneezes that proceeded from it. And Aristotle tells us in express
terms that sneezing was accounted a deity: "[Greek: Ton Ptarmon theon
hegoumetha]"--_Archaeol. Graec._ (5th ed.), p. 338.

"Oscitatio in nixu letalis est, sicut
Sternuisse a coitu abortivum."
Quoted from Pliny by Aulus Gellius,
_Noct. Att._ III. xvi. 24.

Erasmus, in his _Colloquies_, bids one say to him who sneezes, "Sit faustum
ac felix," or "Servet te Deus," or "Sit salutiferum" or "Bene vertat Deus."

"Quare homines sternutant?

"Respondetur, ut virtus expulsiva et visiva, per hoc purgetur, et
cerebrum a sua superfluitate purgetur, etc. Etiam qui sternutat
frequenter, dicitur habere forte cerebrum."--_Aristotelis Problemata_:
Amstelodami, anno 1690.

Query whether from some such idea of the beneficial effect of sneezing,
arose the practice of calling for the divine blessing on the sneezer?

When Themistocles was offering sacrifice, it happened that three beautiful
captives were brought him, and at the same time the fire burnt clear and
bright, and a sneeze happened on the right hand. Hereupon Euphrantides the
soothsayer, embracing him, predicted the memorable victory which was
afterwards obtained by him, &c.

There is also mention of this custom (the observation of sneezing) in
Homer, who has introduced Penelope rejoicing at a sneeze of her son
Telemachus:

"[Greek: Ouch horaas ho moi huios epeptaren]"

Sneezing was not always a lucky omen, but varied according to the
alteration of circumstances--"[Greek: Ton ptarmon hoi men eisin ophelimoi,
hoi de blaberoi]," "Some sneezes are profitable, others
prejudicial"--according to the scholiast upon the following passage of
Theocritus, wherein he makes the sneezing of the Cupids to have been an
unfortunate omen to a certain lover:

"[Greek: Simichida men erotes epeptaron.]"

If any person sneezed between midnight and the following noontide it was
fortunate, but